Trickery
by krumkler
Summary: He'd already sort of kind of tricked Kate Beckett into going out on a date with him twice. Why not try for a perfect 3-0 run?


Disclaimer: Don't own it.

A/N: First Castle fanfic! I had an absurd amount of fun writing this, but I hope you enjoy it. I actually had to sit on this for two days because has a policy where you can't post anything for 48 hours after creating an account. Let me tell you, there's nothing like sitting on your first story for two days to make you lose the courage to post it. But I digress. This takes place sometime after 3x19, when (spoiler alert!) Castle tricks Beckett into going to the cinema with him.

Summary: He'd already sort of kind of tricked Kate Beckett into going out on a date with him twice. Why not try for a perfect 3-0 run?

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><p><strong>Trickery <strong>

It was just after six o'clock when Castle finally got his chance. The sun was dipping behind the heavy clouds that hung low over the 12th, casting long shadows across Beckett's desk. Evening was beginning to darken the precinct with the satisfying inky grayness he had come to associate with the end of the workday. For a man who'd never had to worry about regular schedules and the daily grind, it was surprisingly comforting to link the circadian cycle with work hours. It was one of the things he thanked his muse for. One day, he might even tell her that. If only to see her reaction to being thanked for introducing him to the concept of a schedule.

But enough distraction. He had a plan to set into motion. He watched from the break room as Kate stood from her chair and stretched out the kinks that came from sitting diligently in one position and doing paperwork for two whole hours. If he could concentrate for that long on his writing, he'd bet he could be the most prolific author to have ever lived. Might even give Patterson a run for his money.

Just as Beckett picked up her keys from her desk, Castle exited the break room on an intercept course.

His timing was, of course, perfect.

"Calling it a night?" Castle asked, projecting an aura of innocence for all he was worth. He'd been waiting for this moment for that past 45 minutes (he'd spent the hour and fifteen minutes before that playing a rousing game of Angry Birds, artfully dodging Gina's queries about the status of his latest draft, texting back-and-forth with Connelly about who the _greatest_ Queen of Crime was, and finally tweeting madly about Ngaio Marsh just because he was right and Connelly was wrong). He considered it a personal victory that he'd held on to his patience for a whole _forty-freaking-five_minutes. Castle for the win.

"Yep," She replied, throwing him an easy smile.

"Any plans?" His plans hinged on her having none. Thankfully, Motorcycle-Boy – sorry, _Doctor_Motorcycle-Boy, he mentally corrected himself – had a busy schedule.

"Josh is on shift," She replied, with a somewhat disappointed shrug.

Perfect.

Now all he had to do was delicately, subtly nudge his conversation with Beckett in the right direction. He was a master of the written word, a virtuoso of charm. This would be a cake walk, because though Beckett was a worthy opponent, in this case she had no idea what he was up to. He considered that a distinct advantage.

As long as she never, ever found out about his nefarious (and delightfully devious) plans to trick her into going out on a date with him.

"Ah, that's a shame." He actually managed to sound sincere.

She said nothing, but as he accompanied her to the elevator, he fancied he could see her mulling over her boyfriend's frequent absences in her life.

And while Motorcycle-boy was off fixing the broken hearts of strangers, his girlfriend's heart was being slowly but surely conquered by Richard Castle.

The thought made Castle smile, though he was quick to hide it from the lady in question – first, because she might shoot him; and second, because he was maybe getting a bit ahead of himself.

"How about you?" She asked, pressing the button to call the lift.

He heaved a gusty sigh, somewhat confident in the acting chops that had been conferred upon him by Martha Rodgers through good genes and osmosis. "I had plans with Alexis," He replied despondently, "But she bailed on me. Turns out her boyfriend and a Band of Horses concert is more appealing than I am."

"I'm sorry to hear that," She sympathized, as the elevator doors slid open.

"Me too," He gestured for to enter the elevator, before following her in. "I bought tickets and everything."

"What did you have planned?"

"The Catch Me If You Can Broadway production." He worked really hard not to look at her, because if he did then maybe she would see right through him. Instead, he held his breath, crossing his fingers behind his back. He knew that she liked con movies, so hopefully-

"Really? Alexis turned that down?" Kate was - understandably - disbelieving. "It's been receiving rave reviews. I tried to get tickets, but they're sold out for pretty much the whole run."

"I had to call in quite a few favours to get the tickets myself..." He laid it on pretty thick, letting his statement hang between them for three beats before going in for the kill. "Hey!" He exclaimed, turning to her as though the idea had just occurred to him. "Why don't you come with me? I was just going to give the tickets away anyways."

She looked at him, appraising his intentions with an arch of one perfectly manicured eyebrow.

He put his hands up in that age-old show of innocence. "The tickets are just lying there, waiting to be used." To his own credit, he didn't wheedle with her, not even a little. "You have no plans and I got stood up by my own kid." If that didn't tug at her heartstrings, he didn't know what could. He was pretty sure Alexis would forgive him for using her so shamelessly.

Kate nibbled on her lower lip as she considered his offer – a sure sign of capitulation.

"And I still have to thank you for introducing me to Forbidden Planet," He added as the final nail in this coffin.

"Well," The corner of her mouth turned up in a smile. "Forbidden Planet is a pretty awesome movie, so you do owe me ... Ah, what the hell. Why not."

He'd be lying if he said he thought his plan would actually work. He tried really hard not to give reign to the gleeful grin that was threatening to trample all over his face.

She looked down at her clothes. "But I'll need to change first."

Kate Beckett would deny it until she turned blue in the face, but she could be such a girl sometimes. He bit the inside of his cheek and curled his toes inside his shoes to keep from breaking into a happy dance.

"We can stop by your apartment," He graciously offered, "Before heading to mine."

"Alright," Her assent came so easily. Beckett was clueless.

Richard Castle, he merrily congratulated himself, your deviously ingenious mind is a force to be reckoned with.

"I'll even throw in dinner," He said with a casualness that would have netted him an Oscar nomination, had anyone been filming this scene. "I booked a table for dinner with Alexis as it is. Would hate to see it go to waste." He stared straight ahead at the elevator doors as he said it, while stars went supernova inside his chest. Castle for the win!

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><p>Kate waited as Castle unlocked his front door. She found herself looking forward to a night out. It was always good to paint the town red after a long day's work, and Castle usually made for good company. Or perhaps, the thought occurred, she'd just become really adept at tuning out his more irritating tendencies.<p>

That in itself was no small wonder.

When she'd first been forced into acquiring a shadow who intended to use her life as fodder for his fiction (no matter how much she enjoyed said fiction), she'd been dead set on making his job as difficult as he was making hers. And, perhaps, her stubbornness in not giving him an inch had been a bit too ... enthusiastic. As it turned out, Castle made a great friend. Really great friend. Kate swallowed a smile. Her mother often told her she could be her own worst enemy. She could hear her now: _Katie, I told you so._

She hated how her mom was always right. Though it was comforting to know that now, even after all this time, her mom still knew her so well.

"I'll just go change into something more suitable," Castle said, opening the door for her. "I have to do you justice," He added with that giddy smile that reached deep into his eyes. "Make yourself at home."

Kate grinned, watching him make a beeline for his bedroom. She would never let him know just how much she enjoyed his turns of phrase, or just how delightfully, annoyingly charming he could be at times.

Taking his invitation to heart, Kate slipped out of her coat and wandered over to his living room. Since the first time she'd walked into his apartment, she'd wanted to explore his vast collection of DVDs and Blu-rays. One day, if she was brave enough - or perhaps crazy enough - she might invite herself over for one of those movie marathons he kept waxing eloquent about. The idea of Castle sitting still for an entire movie marathon was something she needed to see to believe. She imagined he'd get into popcorn fights before the end-credits to even the first movie rolled. Then again, he'd been surprisingly still and attentive during Forbidden Planet.

She let her eyes roam over the movies neatly lined along the shelves in his living room - all alphabetized, she noted. Probably Alexis' doing. She still couldn't quite believe Castle had never seen Forbidden Planet. What a terrible oversight. Where else was his film education lacking?

Although, she frowned as her fingers slid along the smooth spines of the movies he owned, he had an incredibly extensive collection.

"Forbidden Planet!" She exclaimed, pleasantly surprised, as her finger alighted on the

movie in question. He'd bought it. She'd known he would enjoy it, and here was proof that he really had. She pulled out his copy of the film. Apparently he enjoyed it enough to buy the two-disc special collector's edition. Hm.

"Kate, hi!"

Kate spun around to see Alexis coming down the stairs.

"I thought I heard dad," Alexis said, not-so-subtly eyeing Kate's outfit (a rather modest dress, by Kate's standards. This was Castle after all, and she'd caught him checking out her ass more than once). "How're you?"

"Hi, Alexis," Kate smiled at Little Castle. "I'm well. How about you?"

"Okay, taking a break from studying." She shrugged dismissively, before continuing in a more hopefully eager tone. "You look really nice … Are you and dad going out on a date?"

"Oh no," Kate was quick to deny it, but then just as quick to frown in confusion. Why was Alexis studying when she had a date with Ashley? Before Kate could pursue the matter, because she really didn't want to interlope on father-daughter time if it turned out Alexis was free, the daughter in question came to stand next to her.

"Forbidden Planet!" She said happily, nodding at the movie Kate was holding. "That's one of dad's favourites"

Kate grinned. Ah, young grasshopper, she thought. I have taught you well.

"He's seen it like a hundred times. At least," Alexis continued.

Kate's smile faded, bringing her sensei moment to an end before she could really even enjoy it.

"A _hundred_times?" Kate said aloud, her voice tinged with wonder. And worry. "How on earth did he manage that?" Surely that was not possible. Castle didn't have that much of an obsessive streak in him, did he?

Before Alexis could respond, the front door to the loft opened and shut, calling Kate and Alexis' attention to the entrance. Martha floated into the room in a swirl of leopard print and expensive perfume.

"Gram!" Alexis grinned in delight, almost tackling her grandmother with an enthusiastic hug. Kate couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Good evening, darling," Martha greeted, laughing. Then she caught sight of Kate and her smile widened, eyes gleaming speculatively. "Kate! What a pleasant surprise!"

"Evening, Martha," Kate happily gave Martha the greeting hug that was fast becoming habit between herself and Castle's mother. She held a genuine affection for the woman, admired her strength and enjoyed her flair. And loved the way she continually embarrassed her son.

"You look stunning." Martha held Kate at arm's length and gave her a once-over, as she now always did. Her smile turned conspiratorial. "Are you two going out on a date," She inclined her head towards Castle's room. The hope in her tone was reminiscent of Alexis'.

"No." Kate and Alexis answered at the same time. Kate in amusement, and Alexis in what sounded suspiciously like disappointment.

Kate gave Little Castle an unsure glance, caught off guard by Alexis' reaction.

"Alright, Beckett," Castle entered the living area just then, still fastening his cuff-links. "I'm ready. How about taking the Ferrari out-"

He stopped in mid-sentence once he caught sight of the tableau in front of him. Kate watched as his eyes flicked from her to Alexis. His expression progressively shifting from surprised to guilt-ridden.

"Alexis!" Castle exclaimed, panic now overrunning his features. Kate watched him, more than slightly confused. Why was he panicking? He quickly moved towards his daughter, but then stopped once he caught sight of the movie Kate was holding in her hands.

"Hey, dad! I was just telling Kate how that's your favourite movie," Alexis said, all bright smiles, indicating the copy of Forbidden Planet Kate was holding.

"Oh, that!" Castle exclaimed.

Kate knew that look. His expression was both innocent and guilty at the same time, an odd mixture that Beckett had never encountered until she'd met Richard Castle. And she'd encountered quite some characters in her line of work.

"How could you have watched this a hundred times already?" Kate asked him with concern. He visibly gulped, and she felt like she was missing an important piece of an important puzzle. "How is that even possible? Shouldn't you be writing when you're not at the precinct?"

"When shouldn't he be writing?" Martha threw in.

"I just bought that." Castle said, tripping over his words, abandoning all pretence of composure and instead throwing meaningful glances at Alexis. "Just last week."

"Last week?" Alexis asked with a guileless frown. "Dad, you've owned that movie since before I was bor—"

Castle clamped a hand over his daughter's mouth. Kate could only stare at Castle.

"Ha!" Castle said, ruffling his daughter's hair with his free hand. "Ha, poor thing. Addled brain. All that studying." He rolled his eyes and shrugged, laughing weakly. "I kept warning her, but clearly burning the midnight oil has taken its toll. She's lost all sense of time."

Alexis rolled her eyes, while Martha watched her son with a patient, bemused befuddlement. Kate imagined it was an expression she leveled quite often at her son.

Beckett wanted to raise an eyebrow in that way she reserved for suspects who were terrible liars, but she was too genuinely confused to put on her detective face. So she got caught somewhere between a baffled frown and a penetrating glare.

"But you told me you'd never seen the movie, Castle," She said, helplessly. The man was so … Frustrating. Infuriating. Confusing. She didn't even have the words to describe it.

"Never seen the movie! Darling!" His mother interjected, casting a glance that was one part curious, one part concerned and one part disapproving at her son. "Why would you lie about that, Richard? You love that movie. If Alexis had been a boy, you were dead set on naming her Robby. In fact, you would have named her Roberta if Meredith hadn't put her foot down." She then turned to Kate and added, "One of the few times I agreed with that woman. You know, she considers herself an actress. The gall. An upstart is what she is, really." Martha continued, now getting warmed up. "No appreciation for the craft. In my day-"

Richard Castle was too busy watching Beckett's confusion to really listen to his mother. The intrepid detective still hadn't caught on to his master plan, he noted. Which meant there was still a hope that he could escape this with his limbs intact.

His mother's rant was proving to be the perfect distraction. And he always took advantage of a good distraction. He removed his hand from over Alexis' mouth, and made a run for his office.

"I'm just going to go update my will." He said quickly, "If you'll excuse me."

"Freeze!" Three voices rang out.

Castle winced, even as he froze in an almost cartoon-like caricature, on foot still raised. He ran a hand over his face, and then slowly turned to face them.

Hoisted with his own petard. He sighed. Plan thwarted. The jig was up. Who's a devious genius now.

And all because of his sweet innocent daughter, turned evil nemesis.

Yet, if life had taught Richard Castle one thing, it was this: when all else failed, improvise. And do it with conviction. Come to think of it, perhaps it was his mother who had taught him that.

"Why would you lie about not having seen Forbidden Planet?" Kate asked with genuine confusion. For a brilliant detective, he thought ruefully, she could sometimes be terribly obtuse.

"Well, I could hardly just invite myself along," He defended.

Beckett's confusion turned into absolute bewilderment. "Since when?"

He opened his mouth to protest, but then he remembered that one time he'd invited himself over to her apartment with a bottle of wine and a paper thin excuse about protecting her. And that other time he'd barged into her apartment armed with flowers. Oh, and that whole calling in favours so he could shadow her while she worked thing. He promptly shut his mouth.

"Richard Castle!" His mother exclaimed, catching on to his nefarious, delightfully devious plan that was about to get him killed. "Did you lie to Kate just to take her to the movies?"

"Dad!" Alexis sounded more exasperated than he'd heard from her in awhile. And he'd been doing so well recently at being the parent in their relationship. Castle wrestled with embarrassment, trying mightily to win back his dignity, but at the moment his voice was failing him.

"I blame myself, you know," Martha told a still-bewildered Kate. "This is my fault. You would think I taught him better, but clearly I failed. This is just like that time in the second grade, when he told Alicia Masters that he'd found a nest of bluebirds behind their school."

"Mother!" Castle protested, cursing the floor for its annoying habit of _not_opening up and swallowing him whole when the situation called for it.

"Traipsed around the forest, dragging that poor girl along, for two whole hours." Martha continued blithely, waving her hand for dramatic punctuation. "She contracted bronchitis. Had to miss an entire semester of school."

"Mother!" Oh good lord. So much for dignity, Castle thought, seriously considering clamping his now free hand over his mother's mouth. But she would murder him for smudging her lipstick.

He dared to look at Beckett, and found that her confusion had been replaced by amusement. In fact, she seemed to be having a whole lot of fun at his expense. He didn't know whether to be relieved or even further embarrassed. He decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and settled for feeling relieved.

"Alexis," Kate turned to his darling daughter whom he was going to ground for a week for unraveling his beautifully laid plans with her ridiculous penchant for honesty. "Do you have a date with Ashley tonight?"

Castle tried to project an affirmative answer to his daughter, but Kate was now watching him carefully so he couldn't do much besides rely on telepathy. And he was very bad at telepathy - he'd taken the test and failed magnificently.

"No," Alexis shook her head, looking at Kate instead of him. He vowed that her Best Daughter Ever mug was going to Goodwill. "I have to study for AP exams and Ashley's attending his cousin's violin concert tonight."

Castle huffed. "You're grounded." He pointed a finger at his erstwhile favourite daughter.

The onslaught of their response was almost deafening.

"Honestly, Richard!" His mother berated.

"Castle." Kate rolled her eyes.

"Dad!" Alexis protested.

"No fair," Castle mumbled, scowling. "You can't all gang up on me." These women would be the death of him.

He prepared himself for some form of lashing from Kate. Hopefully it would be a verbal lashing. Then again, he still held fast to what he'd told Kate the first time they'd met: she could spank him anytime. He grinned at the thought.

Kate studied him. He waited with bated breath, and a couple of nice fantasies to keep him company.

"Do you really have tickets for the show tonight?" Kate finally spoke, nibbling on her lower lip.

It took him a moment, but he nodded, dumbfounded by this turn of events. She might actually say yes.

Kate looked at Alexis and then at Martha, both of whom were holding their breath, eyes adorably full of hope as they watched her. Now, if _that_didn't tug at her heartstrings, he didn't know what could.

His detective narrowed her eyes, and then huffed fondly in resignation. Her surrender to the Castle clan magic was a thing to behold.

"What am I going to do with you?" She asked, turning back to look at him. He imagined her tone was more affectionate than exasperated.

"Oh," He flung himself into this little window of opportunity she opened for him. "I have a few ideas," He wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

"Ew." Alexis made a face.

"I'm driving," Kate declared, ignoring his response. "The Ferrari," She added pointedly.

Wait. What? Castle struggled to rewind the conversation. Was she actually saying _yes_?

"It was great to see you again, Alexis, Martha." Kate graced each with a gorgeous smile.

"Bye, Kate!" Alexis grinned, practically bouncing on her heels. "Have fun!"

"Goodnight, dear," Martha's smile was just as wide as her granddaughter's.

Kate pivoted on her deliciously high heels and picked up her coat as she headed towards the front door. Castle watched her walk away, still not quite sure if he was imagining this scenario or not. His imagination was, after all, quite vivid.

"You coming, Castle?" Kate threw over her shoulder.

That yanked him out of his catatonic state. Castle hurried after her, but not before breaking into a wide grin and giving his mother and daughter two big thumbs up.

Castle for the WIN!

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><p>the end.<p> 


End file.
